This year’s Belfast Film Festival is set to be its biggest festival to date, with a total of 125 films and special events, 45 shorts from 38 countries, all screening across 16 venues (indoor and outdoor) over its 10 day run.

The festival includes a diverse programme that offers something for everyone, including the latest announcement that ‘Groundhog Day’ will screen in Belfast City Hall during the course of the festival to honour the late Harold Ramis. Taking place from 27 March to 5 April, the 14th Belfast Film Festival offers exciting events, interesting guest speakers and new Irish film screenings.

The 14th Belfast film Festival will also host a number of guests including writer Jon Ronson who will talk about his work on Lenny Abrahamson’s latest film, Frank’, and Mark Cousins and David Holmes who will talk about the making of their upcoming film, ‘I am Belfast’. BAFTA nominees Glenn Patterson and Colin Carberry will also be in attendance to discuss music, film and the work that influenced their development of ‘Good Vibrations’.

New Irish cinema to be screened includes the world premiere of ‘Road’ at the Opening Gala. Produced by DoubleBand Films and narrated by Liam Neeson, the feature documentary is a dramatic recounting of two generations of the one family who participate in motorcycle road racing. ‘We Were There’ and ‘Votes for Women’ are some other Irish productions that will screen. The former portrays the experiences of women in the Maze/Long Kesh Prison during the Troubles, and the latter depicts how Irishwomen obtained the vote.

The festival’s tribute to Irish film can also be seen in their screening of two micro budget fiction features made in Northern Ireland, ‘Onus’ and ‘Noirland’, and a ‘Sense of Place’ programme dedicated to films made in Belfast during the 1980s. This year’s Belfast Film Festival will also screen over 45 Irish shorts.

Some of the festival’s many highlights include a live score to a showing of ‘Dawn of the Dead’ by rock band Simonetti’s Goblins; a celebration of the music of Patrick Doyle (an Oscar nominee who has composed for 60 films, including ‘Sense and Sensibility’, ‘Hamlet’ and ‘Thor’); and a screening of Hitchcock’s ‘Dial M for Murder’ in 3D to close the festival.

The festival’s ‘Faith and Film’ event will see spiritually themed films such as ‘Baraka’, ‘Babette’s Feast’ and ‘The Gospel According to Matthew’ screening at churches around Belfast. Screenings of classic school movies are to be held in Belfast’s primary schools – ‘Goodbye Mr Chips is to be shown at Strandtown Primary School on March 29 and ‘Gregory’s Girl will screen at Nettlefield Primary School.

The ‘Addiction’ program examines the battles faced by and wounds incurred by those with harmful addictions. Screenings are to include ‘Days of Wine and Roses’ and ‘Requiem for a Dream’ with a discussion panel to later talk about issues raised in the films.